January

News Archive

14 December 2004

OXOID RECEIVE JUDGES’ SPECIAL AWARD IN 2004 BEST FACTORY AWARDS

Oxoid, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of culture media and
diagnostic tests used in the clinical, food and pharmaceutical industries,
are proud to announce that their Basingstoke manufacturing site has won
the Judges’ Special Award in the “2004 Best Factory Awards”, organised
in the UK by the Cranfield University School of Management and Works
Management magazine.

In presenting Oxoid with their Special Award the judges highlighted
the clear and structured process by which the company translated its
objectives of product excellence, customer service, employee satisfaction
and lowest cost into a successful world class manufacturing strategy.

Oxoid began its World Class Programme in 1999, it now extends across
all Operations departments through the work of 14 teams coordinated by
a Continuous Improvement Steering Group.

Fundamental to the Programme is the adoption of Best Business Practices
and a comprehensive set of performance measures. John Dunn, Oxoid’s Operations
Improvement Manager, further explains that “Continuous improvement in
performance is driven by the teams setting their own goals and objectives
and also by educating the teams in the use of techniques such as Overall
Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and 5s (sort, set limits, shine & sweep,
standardize and sustain) for workplace organization. In summary we have
achieved a real change in culture by creating an environment where all
employees can contribute to continuous improvement. The results speak
for themselves with on-time dispatches up from 85% in 2000 to 95% in
2003, and increased volume output per man-hour up by 44% since 1998.”

“I was truly delighted to receive this Award on Oxoid’s behalf”, comments
Mike Housham, Vice President of Operations , “it gives well
deserved public recognition, to everyone involved in Operations at our
Basingstoke site, for the tremendous improvements that they have made,
and continue to make, to ensure that our products are the finest in the
marketplace.”